How Did I End Up Here?
by WolfSam
Summary: This is a tale that follows a cat named Heather. She's just a cat trying to become clan leader! But strange things begin to happen. Why is she having these detailed visions? Why is following the code of a warrior so hard? What are these nightmares that haunt her? Is something much bigger going on here? With her sister by her side, she will find out. Action/Adventure/Romance/Drama
1. Chapter 1

Nyello! Thanks for taking an intrest in my story! This is going to be my first story I'm writing, so go easy on me c: Please, tell me if you enjoyed and want more! I'll make more chapters if I have support! :3

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"Whats happening? Mistyfern?"

The day was a cloudy one, the sky being a light grey color, outlining the dark fluffy clouds that loomed over the whole forest. Two cats were taking shelter under a large tree, pressing close together to trap the warmth between their bodies. One of the cats had a muscular build, towering over the other cat like the trees that surrounded them. He was a dark brown, having only one single marking of light brown on his left paw. His mighty voice shook the earth as he asked his company the same thing again.  
"Whats wrong Mistyfern? Whats with that look?"  
Mistyfern was staring up into the brewing storm with haunted blue eyes. It was as if she saw a murder happen right before her. She was a mixture of colors, ranging from brown to orange as there was no real pattern to her. Seconds passed like a wildfire and turned into minutes. Finally with a small gasp, Mistyfern shook back into reality, turning her head to look at her friend who stared back, ready for an explanation.

"A vision..it was a vision."

The cat tilted his head. "What? Did Starclan communicate with you?" Mistyfern didn't answer immediately, trying to find an answer herself.  
"No..uh, maybe..yes? I-I don't know! Hawkstar, it was a storm just like this one!" She shook, starting to hyperventilate.  
Hawkstar tried to calm her down, resting his tail on her shoulder. With a calm voice he asked, "Just tell me what happened, okay?" With a nod, Mistyfern breathed in.

"There was a fire! The whole forest was burning and all around me the world was breaking...thats when _the storm_ came. It was raining with lightning and wind! Soon the storm flooded the forest and everyone in it!"

Sympathetic emerald eyes rested on this poor cat as Hawkstar pulled her close. "That Must have been terrifying. Its all okay now, its over..."

Mistyfern sniffled, shaking as she remembered the chaos that surrounded her. "Come now, the clan is most likely worried about us. We'll talk about this later." They nodded to one another and got out from under their shelter into the hard rain and raging wind.

Deeper inside the forest was a cry, like a small kitten begging for milk. In this new setting, the storm was muffled by dirt walls that surrounded a group of cats. One of them spoke up with a concerned tone.

"I hope you're alright. I couldn't imagine having to go through this without a medicine cat.." The cat spoke to a tortoiseshell cat, laying on her side with two tiny bodies squirming at her stomach. She looked up with a weak smile.

"No need to worry, everythings fine now, isn't it?" The mother nuzzled her kits lovingly. Thunder sounded in the distance. "This one," her tail poked at the left one. "is Hollykit..." The cats around her smiled, admiring the small scrap. Then, they all looked to the other one.  
"And this one..." She begun, only to be cut off by a loud strike right next to the den.

"Woah! Maybe we should move you deeper into this den.." A grey cat came into view, waving her tail at the mother and her new born kittens. She shook her head.

"They don't seem to mind. They're brave arn't they?" She paused, then looked up in embarassment. "I forgot what I was going to name her..." The group all have amused looks, chuckling.

"Heatherkit."

A voice that wasn't there before had made its way next to the mother with a loving look. It was Hawkstar, followed by Mistyfern who had a sorry look on her face  
"Remember, Petaltail? The beautuful purple flowers where we first shared tongues?" He nuzzled her.

Petaltail blushed, looking up to her assumed mate. "...Heatherkit it is." Another strike went down, scaring all the cats present. The grey cat came up again. "Alright, not taking no for an answer, lets get you guys deeper in this den."

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Thats it so far! I hope you enjoyed it ^w^ If you like, ask for more and I will update the story!  
Please review C:


	2. Chapter 2

"Heatherkit! Come on!"

The sun was high in the sky, shining down on the clan camp and providing a warm and safe feeling to everyone. It was also a nice change in scenery, Since it was just a few days after the two day storm. A lot of storms have been happening lately. No cat knows why, but some think its starclan. No one can say.. Heatherkit trotted along the camp happily, her tiny brown paws splashing in puddles and annoying the heck out of innocent cats who just so happened to pass by this energetic sprinkler.

"Hollykit, don't you think it was wrong of us to sneak out like this? What if mommy finds out?"

Heatherkit would hate to get in trouble like this...though she wondered why no clan cat was doing anything to stop them?Just then, Hollykit turned around with a big grin on her face. Her fluffy light brown fur danced all about in the cool breeze the day has provided for them. With great determination Hollykit rushed forward and tackled Heatherkit right into a puddle, getting both of their clean silky fur all muddy, soggy and sticky.

"Stop being such a scaredy kit! No cats going to stop us!"

The kitten giggled as she wrestled with her sister, pinning her town and biting on her ear. Heatherkit barley managed to stutter out any words as her sister trampled over her.

"Wh-whys that?!"

As Hollykit heard that, she paused and jumped off Heatherkit, thrashing her tail about and puffing her chest out as if she were a warrior.

"Duh! We're the leader's kits! No one dares to ruin the fun of daddy's little girls!" Hollykit giggled and instinctively shook to get the mud off, sending spots of mud in all directions.

Heatherkit seemed confused. Just because daddy is the leader, they get treated different? Wheres the fun in that? Peach colored paws approached the two scruffs, shaking violently as if its claws were going to erupt right out of them! The kittens eyes slowly looked up to the owner, loosing all color in their tiny bodies.

"You..." The she-cat shook. "You two ruined your beautiful coats! What have I told you about doing this?! Get back inside NOW!"

Petaltail was nearly on the verge of tears seeing her lovely kittens so dirty and disobedient.

"Yes mama..."

Was all the two could say as they slowly tracked mud to the nursery. Petaltail angrily looked around, cursing all the cats who had just idly watched before following her distraught daughters.

_Well that was fun while it lasted..._

Heatherkit closed one eye as her mother thoroughly cleansed her of any mud and dirt. Then..laughing?

"Hehe...hahaha!"

Heatherkit blinked and looked to her sister who was sitting down and staring at a small puddle that managed to form in the nursery. Why was she laughing? They were in deep trouble and weren't even allowed out any mo-

"Hah..hahaha!"

_Huh?_

Petaltail began to laugh too, loosening her grip on Heatherkit.

"I look like I just stepped though a hurricane! Hahaha!"

Hollykit looked to their mother and laughed along with her.

Petaltail shook her head. "You look a lot like your father when he tried to chase after a flock of birds!"

The two continued on laughing and joking. Like everything was okay.. Petaltail calmed down, scanning over both her kits and giving a loving smile.

"I can't stay mad at you two...but...what you two did was wrong, okay? Promise me you'll never do something like that again."

Without hesitation, the two agreed.

"We promise!"

They began to break into laughter again, even Heatherkit.

_I love our family...no matter how weird these two are! I hope nothing changes...but wait. No, it can't stay like this forever!_

Heatherkit looked out the nursery and spotted her father, Hawkstar, close by taking to his fellow clan mates. Heatherkit admired her father greatly for all he does for this clan. To giving orders, risking his life and helping others in need, everything about him was great! No wonder every cat here loved him. Heatherkit wanted to be just like him, but to do that...

_No...it can't stay like this forever. Hollykit and I will be apprentices soon! Then warriors! Then hopefully..._

Heatherkit shivered as her mother resumed cleaning her, having the biggest smile on her face. Heatherkit was unable to hold back her smile when she saw her mom so happy.

_Even so...I am going to miss this. Once we're apprentices we won't even get to sleep with our mom anymore._

From the corner of her eye, Heatherkit saw Hollykit stand on all fours.

"Mother...what's it like to be a warrior?"

Emerald eyes glowed from afar, growing closer.

"Being a warrior is a great thing."

"Daddy!"

Hollykit ran to Hawkstar right away, latching on to his massive paw. Heatherkit just stared, having to tilt her head high up just to see her fathers face.

_He really is tall..._ Her tiny brown paw reached up as if trying to reach her father.

_I wonder...I wonder if one day I'll be as tall as him. What if...she grew taller?!_

"Now listen up.."

Heatherkit snapped out of her mind when her father spoke up again, lowering her paw. She needed to hear this. She needed to know what made warriors so great!

Whatever it was, she needed to be better!

"Being a warrior is a gift among itself. You protect the clan and everyone in it, feeding hungry kits like yourself and elders who worked hard their entire life."

_Warriors do all that? Thats amazing...they help so many cats in need. But she wanted to do more.._

It almost hurt Heatherkit to try and speak up to her father. She didn't know why but anytime her father was around, she grew nervous and shy. Like she would embarrass herself at any time..but she just had to ask!

"U-um...Ha-..daddy?"

Hawkstar blinked, looking down to his daughter with a soft smile. Heatherkit gulped.

"Whats it like...being a leader?"

Hawkstar was caught off guard, staring at Heatherkit with a blank expression. It was starting to worry her. Petaltail swished her tail, turning to the side with a confused look.

"Well?" Hawkstar coughed, nodding.

"Sorry. Uh, leader. Well, its definitely not easy." He chuckled, leveling his tail.

Hollykit was now sitting beside his paw, looking up at him with huge eyes.

"What makes it so hard then?"

The leader gave a half amused look, trying to simplify the answer in his head. Finally coming up with something, he gently pushed Hollykit next to her sister, nearly covering up half her body with his one paw alone.

"Being a leader has all the perks of a warrior, but you have the honor to lead them. As a leader it is your job to keep the clan happy and healthy. Close like family, and safe from anything. Your clan is apart of you, if anything happened to them, well, you wouldn't be the same."

_Being a leader..._

"Hawkstar, Mistyfern would like a word with you"

'Being a leader means so much..'

"Ofcourse. Hollykit, Heatherkit, Petaltail. I'll see you all soon. Rest well now. You'll need it if you're going to grow into strong healthy warriors!" With that, Hawkstar began to walk off.

_No..._ Heatherkit watched her father leave with an expression of pure desire and determination.

_You're wrong. I wont be just a strong warrior._

"I'm going to be a leader! Just like my daddy!"

Hawkstar stopped dead in his tracks, and Hollykit and Petaltail looked to the usually soft spoken kit in shock.

"I'm going to be a leader just like my daddy! Just you wait dad, I'm going to be the best leader you ever laid eyes on!", The kit was up on her feet now. Her green eyes burned like a fire that just would never die.

All her father did was stare at her for a while, until the corner of his mouth formed a grin.

"I can't wait to see what you're made of." He walked off.

Heatherkit felt amazing, she just spoke to her father without sounding like a scared little kit! With her new found courage, the kit turned to her mother and sister, who looked still pretty surprised.

"I'm going to protect you two from now on! You may call me, Heatherstar!" They both burst out laughing, much to the dismay of Heatherkit.

"H-hey don't laugh! Don't you two realize how mean you're being?! Cut it ouuutttt!"


	3. Chapter 3

_Being a leader means your clan is apart of you_

"Hollykit, Heatherkit, come here..."

_today is the day_

Petaltail nuzzled her two kits lovingly, water building up at the corner of her eyes. "I'm so proud of you two..." She said.

_the day we finally become apprentices!_

Hollykit nodded at her mother and gave her a comforting look. "Its not like youre never going to see us again mom...we'll be here!"

Heatherkit nodded in agreement with her sister. Still, Petaltail sobbed and licked her kits like she would all those times in the nursery.

"I know, I know..."

In the distance, a mighty voice spoke out loudly, reaching everyone in the clan. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, come forth for a clan meeting!"

Cats coming from every possible corner of the camp made their way to the giant rock that seemed to be halfway burried underground. Ontop of that rock was Hawkstar himself, standing up proud and tall, his big muscles clearly visible. Back in the nursery, The tortoiseshell queen hung her head low, dredding this day like any mother would, having to give up her kits.

Hollykit cared about her mother's feelings, but she was just far too full of excitment to wait. "Come on mom, lets go!" Hollykit bounced forward, dissapearing into the crowd of cats. Heatherkit stayed next to her mother, waiting for her to walk her over there.

"Heatherkit..."

Heatherkit turned to her mother, slightly concerned on what she had to say. Petaltail stared at where Hollykit had dissapeard.

"Make sure to watch out for Hollykit. You two should always stick together like the sisters you are. Okay?"

Without hesitation, Heatherkit nodded.

_Of course I will always watch over Hollykit. She is my sister after all! _

Heatherkit smiled, and looked forward to the crowd of cats, still waiting on her mother to escort her. Petaltail picked up on this, leaning back.

"You go on with your sister. I'll watch from here."

"Wha?"

"You heard me. Off you go!"

Petaltail pushed Heatherkit forward with her back leg and gave her a wink. Heatherkit gulped, and slowly made her way to the crowd of cats. She'd have to get used to not relying on her mother like a new born kit. After a moment of searching, Heatherkit spotted Hollykit right in front of the rock...infront of everyone.. Heatherkit sighed and grew nervous as she sat beside her sister. Being infront of a whole bunch of cats like this didn't feel good at all. They were just sitting there...watching her back like a blood thirsty Eagle, just spotting it's defencless new prey. Trying to shake off hat feeling, Heatherkit looked up at her father, an d just as she did Hawkstar looked down to his daughters. He looked so proud of how much they've grown. He cleared his thoat, scanning over the crowd of cats who were waiting on his word.

"Hollykit, Heatherkit, you have reached the age of six moons and are ready to become apprentices."

Heatherkit was waiting for what seemed like years to hear those very words. Even though she's only been around for six moons...

"Hollykit. Come forward."

_Go Hollykit, go!_ Heatherkit silently cheered.

Hollykit looked as if she was about to scream of how excited she looked. With a slight nod the kitten climbed up the rock next to her father.

"From this day forward, until you recive your warrior name, you will be known as Hollypaw."

Hawkstar paused, half rolling his eyes as he saw Hollypaw to shaking like a scared rabbit.

"Your mentor will be Ripplecloud."

An all black colored she-cat stepped forward, looking as happy as can be. Her well groomed and sleek body glistened beneath the sunlight, and her yellow eyes shown with gratitude at Hawkstar as he continued on.

"Ripplecloud, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had recieved great training from Shrewflight, and you have shown great loyalty and courage. I hope you pass on all you know to Hollypaw."

Ripplecloud's eyes sparkled, climbing onto the giant rock and looking down at her newly appointed apprentice. Both of their eyes met, showing great happiness for one another's company. Then as mentor and apprentice, the two touched noses.

_There she is. My sister is finally on the path of becoming a warrior! Oh she looks as if she could take on the world! Im so happy for her. _

The clan longed to cheer for their clan mates, but they couldn't just yet.

"Heatherkit"

Heatherkit froze, totally forgetting that she was to become an apprentice as well! Slowly, Heatherkit climbed up the rock, nearly slipping a few times, and stood next to her sister who was looking at her with the same admiration Heatherkit had given her.

"From now, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Heatherpaw. Your mentor will be Flametooth."

An orange colored cat with dark brown patterns hopped up the rock as soon as Hawkstar said flame. It was as if he knew he was going to be the mentor. Though Hawkstar didn't seem to mind much.

Before Hawkstar continued, Heatherpaw took the chance to look at her new mentor.  
He was a sleek cat, with a long face. Though he had a strong build, not as muscular looking as her father, but just by one look you could tell he's a great fighter.

"Flametooth, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had recieved great training from Hazelstrike and you have shown great Power and quick thinking skills. I hope you pass on all you know to Heatherpaw."

_It was finally happening!_

Flametooth looked down to Heatherpaw with a smug look, wasting no time to poke his nose onto hers. Finally, the surrounding cats burst into cheers,

"Hollypaw! Heatherpaw! Hollypaw! Heatherpaw!" All the worry and nervousness in Heatherpaw was replaced with pride and happiness. These cats were cheering her on. They were happy she was on her way to becoming a warrior!

"I won't let you down!" Heatherpaw beamed, waving her tail back and fourth.

This only made some cats cheer more, and Hollypaw giggled.

Hawkstar turned to the apprentices. "I'm so proud of you two. You're on your way to becoming fine warriors." He smiled. "Well, off you go then. I'm sure your mentors have plenty to show you."

_training starts right away?!_

Ripplecloud nodded. "Of course Hawkstar. Lets go now Hollypaw! Are you coming with, Flametooth?"

The orange warrior nodded. "Obviously! Theres no way I'm letting my apprentice sit inside the boring ol' camp!" He winked to Heatherpaw, making her blush in embarrassment.

The four cats hopped off the large rock, just as the crowd began to disperse.

"I've been so ready for this! What are we going to do first?! Are we gunna fight or hunt?! Oh! Are we going to learn about the first four clans?!" Hollypaw bounced up and down while following close behind her mentor. If Heatherpaw didn't know any better, she'd think Hollypaw was about ready to explode.  
Oh who is she kidding? Heatherpaw was about ready to explode as well!

"Now now, calm down! Right now, all four of us are going outside the camp to show you guys the territory." Ripplecloud assured.

_Outside the camp?..._

Flametooth flicked his tail. "Thats right! Oh man, I can't wait to see the look on your faces when you see how big our territory is."

The cats neared closer to the camp entrance. Heatherpaw had always seen many cats come through the camp entrance, and she finally will be able to see what's out there! A few seconds later they were outside of the camp. Right away a collage of different smells forced themselves into Heatherpaw's nose, so much so that she actually had to cover her nose with a paw for a second. Noticing this, Ripplecloud stopped,

"We'll let you two take in the scents for a momemt. I know how sensitive your noses can be after being surrounded by the same smells for six moons."

Hollypaw shrugged, not seeming to mind at all, sniffing the air and all it had to offer. Heatherpaw on the other hand, had to slowly lift her paw to take in the scents one by one. A few moments later the brown apprentice nodded, indicating she was ready to move on. With that, they were off. All around them, the trees, the plants, the bushes were so much bigger then Hollypaw and Heatherpaw. The trees especially. They seemed to loom over everything in the forest, and their lush bright green leaves danced in the wind. It smelled...odd. Nothing Heatherpaw could compair to anything in the camp. Although as they passed one tree, it smelled familiar. Almost like cat scents, but really faint. Heatherpaw looked down to the grass that squished between her toes. It was much more bright and full them the wore down grass in the camp. Every single thing here was so different from the camp. The closed spaces due to the scattered trees, the different smelling plants..it would take a while for Heatherpaw to ever get used to being outside.

"Okay, here is the boarder of our territory, which starts Sunclan territory. You can tell by the scent markers. Go on, give it a sniff." Flametooth prompted, stepping aside for the apprentices.

The two obeyed, sniffing along the trees and grass. Almost instantly, the two jerked backwards. "Yuck! They smell of toad muck!" Hollypaw gasped, shaking her head franticly to get rid if the awful stench!  
Heatherpaw sneezed, scrunching up her nose to the pungent smell of the territory.

"Why does it smell so foul?"

Ripplecloud and Flametooth both chuckled, Flametooth speaking up first, "Sunclan always smells foul. They live in some kind of swampy area. Arn't you glad youre not a Sunclan cat?"

Ripplecloud nudged Flametooth, shaking her head in disapproval, yet she couldn't hold back her smile.

"Anyways, by the warrior code, you are not allowed to trespass onto other clan territories, so to ensure that doesn't happen, you need to remember this smell."

Hollypaw poked her sister. "Like we would actually want to!" The two giggled.

Ripplecloud leaned forward, "We're serious guys! The warrior code is law. To be a great anything in this forest, one must always abide by the rules."

_Right. To be a great warrior or maybe even more, I have to follow the warrior code!_

"What happens if you break the rules?" Hollypaw inquired.

Ripplecloud blinked. Apprentices never usually ask that question. They just hear the warrior code and agree without question.

"Well..you won't be a good warrior obviously..." She looked to the side.

Flametooh coughed. "You'll also have the possibility to get kicked out of clan life. A cat who can't follow rules wouldn't be wanted anywhere." Flametooth added, to make the consequences seem more drastic then Ripplecloud seemed to make it.

_Theres no way I'm letting that happen! I'm going to follow all the rules! Passing territory? No problem! I wouldn't wanna pass their smelly territory anyways._

The two mentors continued to walk on, leading their apprentices west.

"Sunclan is the only clan that meets our clan. The other two are reasonably far. So you don't have to worry."

Hollypaw looked back to her mentor, tilting her head. "The other clans are...Rainclan and Windclan, right?"

"Looks like someone has been doing their research! Yes, the clans around here aside from our clan, Stormclan, are Sunclan, Windclan and Rainclan. Windclan is the furthest away form us, so we have no need to worry about them. Rainclan and Sunclan on the other paw...well, we're not here to talk about that." Ripplecloud pointed her tail upwards as they arrived in a new area.

They all stopped infront of a wide open field full of beautiful flowers. The trees curved around the area like a perfect until they seemed to stop half way, revealing the rest of the moorland. It also allowed for a fair amount of sunlight to shine though.

"This is where our clan goes to occasionally share tongues. We used to do it in camp, but we realized how much of a waste this beautiful land would be. We fought Sunclan for this territory and we intend to keep it! And its great for sunbathing!"

_Wow...this place was amazing. Who knew Stormclan could have such a lovely terrain? _Heatherpaw wondered if her sister admired their territory as much as she did.

"Hey Hollypaw, don't you just lo-"

Suddenly Hollypaw burst forward, dashing to the field with great delight. "This is awesome!"

Ripplecloud rolled her eyes in annoyance. Shouldn't this kit know to not do anything without they're mentor's permission?! Heatherpaw couldn't help but giggle at her sister. Even thigh she was being a pest to her mentor, she seemed to disregard that entirely!

Just then Heatherpaw's eyes widened as if stricken by a claw. She didn't know what was happening as her vision turned black for a split second before faintly showing an image of a circle of some sort...a circle made out of some sort of material that Heather paw didn't know was laying in a field of flowers. Though Heatherpaw couldn't only see it, she could smell it. It smelled different. Nothing she had ever encountered before. It smelled like a feline, but a different kind...

"Heatherpaw!"

Heatherpaw snapped back, the image fading from her mind as her mentor caught her attention.

"Go get Hollypaw." He said, annoyed, most likely due to her sister being a complete ditz.

With a hesitant nod, Heatherpaw trotted forward.

_What...was that? What just happened to me? One minute I was looking at Hollypaw having fun, the next, I was in a completely different place. How? Maybe...maybe I was just daydreaming for a second...I don't know.. I'm sure it was nothing. It had to be nothing._ _Right? Anyways._

"Hollypaw, come on. Playtime is over. We're apprentices now, remember?"

Hollypaw stopped jumping and blushed, finally realizing how much of a little kit she must seem like. "Right!" She bounced back over to her mentor.

Heatherpaw began walking, but as she looked on...this angle of the field looked so familiar, yet she's never been here before?

_Whatever...this is starting to make my head hurt.._

Heatherpaw followed her sister back to her mentor. "Whats next?" she smiled.

Flametooth looked up."Well actually, we were going to head back. Its getting late already."

"Awww!" The kittens looked down in disappointment.

"Sorry." Ripplecloud bowed her head. "But we already covered a great amount of land. Besides, the rest isn't that important at the moment. Its all hunting territory and fighting grounds."

"But those are the best things!" Hollypaw sniffled.

Flametooth shook his head. "Come now, we'll explore the rest soon enough."

The two apprentices sighed, following close behind their mentors as they head home.

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"Come sleep by me Heatherpaw!"

"No no, me!"

As the two sisters, Heatherpaw and Hollypaw neared the small apprentice den, Heatherpaw was surprised that the older apprentices, Birchpaw, a light grey cat, and Shortpaw, a white furred cat, were fighting over her.

"Heatherpaw is sleeping near me silly!" Hollypaw stretched out her mossy bedding, pulling another close by her. "I never thought you'd be this,popular Heatherpaw!" Hollypaw giged, laying down in her bed.

_Yea, I didn't think so either.._

The apprentice den was rather small, looking as if it could house a total of 8 cats at max. It was sheltered by a tree that had managed to be cut from its roots, slanting onto another tree. The trees that covered the broken tree were covered with moss and leaves to simulate a roof that would keep them dry on rainy days. They sure had to cover it up pretty well when the storms started coming. All the apprentices were soaked so much, they had to scram in with the warriors for some time! With a small giggle, Heatherpaw slowly sat down, starting to get comfy next to her sister.

"Don't get used to it. You two are nothing _special_ anyways."

Heatherpaw froze, not even daring to turn around to the voice. She just knew one apprentice was going to be trouble...She didn't think Id be Violetpaw. She looked so sweet when the two were kits.

"Just because you two are Hawkstar's kits, dosn't mean you can walk in here like you own the place!" Violetpaw spat from her corner bedding.

Hollypaw turned around instant, fur bristling. "Just because you're only a moon older then us, dosn't give you the right to treat us like dung!" Hollypaw gave a 'hmp' before turning back around and laying her head down.

Heatherpaw heard Violet paw huff, and quiet down. "Don't worry." Hollypaw reassured. "She's just upset that you're more popular then her!" Hollypaw rest her head on her sisters paws. Heatherpaw sighed, and rested on her sisters shoulder.

"Right.."

_Today wasn't so bad. It was actually rather fun! But jee, do I miss sleeping near mommy. It seemed cold without her warm body covering theirs. Wait... no! Stop thinking like that! An apprentice can't think like a kit. She has to think like a warrior! Actually..._

Heatherpaw shifted her gaze from the floor, to outside the small apprentice den. The night was cold, yet it wasn't so dark. The bright stars provided a nightlight for the clan cats that were still up. Speaking of which, there was a small group of cats taking shelter under a tree. They couldn't be more then about 3 cats. Just then, a familiar muscular cat stepped forward, giving the cats an apologetic look. The cats nodded, smiling happily to Hawkstar before getting up and heading to the warriors den, which wasn't too far off from the apprentices den.

_They all respect him so much. They know how much he does for this clan and don't even fuss. Instead of thinking like a warrior, I'm going to think like a leader! Yes! A leader. Leader. Leader. Leader...leader...leader...leader..._

The darkness tugged on Heatherpaw's mind until she finally gave in, and drifted off into sleep.

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**Whew! This was a tough chapter to edit! I kept putting Hollykit and Heatherkit instead of paw! So if you see a name mistake in there, just ignore it for my sake ;w;**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave your support, reviews, comments, concerns and the likes here! It would mean so much to me if I got feedback on my writing. Im just starting out so a little support goes a long way ^-^ Thank you!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Thunder, water, lightning.

These thee things seemed to all be happening at once and Heatherpaw was in the middle of it all.

Her breath quickened as lightning struck right next to her, causing her to jump up and run. Though no matter how fast she ran, the strikes kept getting closer, and closer.

"Heatherpaw!"

"Auuuah!"

The frightened kitten darted forward, looking around to assure herself that she was in the apprentice den, safe from any sort if weather. That dream made her feel as if she were some sort of prey being hunted by the sky!  
Heatherpaw sighed in relief.

_I hate scary dreams! Well, I'm sure after telling mom I'll feel be- Oh. Right. Apprentice._

Heatherpaw looked up to her sister who was hovering over her with the strangest look on her face.

"You were kicking and pushing me all night! You never slept like that before." Her expression changed to that of concern. "Are you okay?"

Heatherpaw nodded in reassurance. It was weird to see her sister so concerned. She always saw Hollypaw smiling and acting like she didn't have a care in the world. Well...when they were kits at least.  
Hollypaw continued on "Flametooth wanted me to wake you up. Your mentor and you are coming with me and my mentor again!"  
Heatherpaw beamed. "Great!"  
Its been about one moon since Hollypaw and Heatherpaw were made into apprentices. The two sisters were finally getting used to being apprentices. Well, almost. Heatherpaw always seemed to think about her mother once in a while. Sure, she could go see her mom whenever she wanted to, though it wasn't the same as they were kits. Their mother sheltered them, curled up with then and got to spend all her time with them. Now, they can no longer make so much time for that. They always have to train or very rarely go on patrols with the other warriors. That, and she couldn't be seen acting like a kit in front of the other clan mates! Though more then anything Heatherpaw wanted to curl right up next to her mother one last time. At least Heatherpaw didn't have to separate from her sister, since both their mentors usually trained with each other. Which was seemed odd, because all the other apprentices train with their mentor alone.  
Heatherpaw wondered if Hollypaw questioned the same thing.  
"Why do you think they've let us train together all the time? You think its because we're sisters?"  
Hollypaw shrugged. "Or maybe their trying to,make their jobs easier!" She snickered.

"Oh please! They couldn't be that lazy!" Heatherpaw placed her tail on her sister's shoulder.

"We should go before they add our tails to the fresh-kill pile!"

"Right O!"

The sisters rushed out the apprentice den to their mentors.

* * *

"Keep your rear down! Your prey will spot you from miles away!"

"Got it!"

Hollypaw, Heatherpaw and their mentors were all at a hunting spot, somewhere in the south part of their territory. The land was uneven, some parts of the area had small hills while the other areas were flat or curved in. It really confused Hetherpaw as to why this would be a hunting spot, wouldn't all these bumps slow them down? Even though it did perplex her, she didn't want to ask her mentor just incase it seemed like a stupid question to ask. Other then that, it looked normal trees scattered evenly about. From what was shown through the leaves, it was somewhat cloudy today then most days were these past weeks.

"Heatherpaw, you're doing great! Now, all you have to do now is remember to look before you step. One crunchy leaf, and bam! No prey for you."

"Got it Flametooth!" They were practicing the hunting position for a while now. For a while all they were learning was history, which from what Heatherpaw saw, bored the heck out of Hollypaw. Even though they have been learning it for a short time, Heatherpaw was convinced she got it down! She sat up, slow turning to her mentor with the cutest face she could muster up. "Can I pleases try to catch something now? I'm sure I got it down! Besides, Hollypaw got to try it!"  
Flametooth chuckled. "Yea, and Hollypaw sucked."  
"Hey!" Hollypaw's cheeks puffed out and she fluffed up her tail, making herself look like a little fuzz ball.  
Ripplecloud giggled. "Come now Hollypaw, I told you that you weren't ready, but you kept insisting! You had to learn the hard way."  
Hollypaw blushed. "You could of stopped me before I hit that tree..."  
The two mentors laughed, and it was impossible for Heatherpaw to hold in a giggle. She remembered that day, just a couple of nights ago Hollypaw decided that she already know how to hunt, so she dashed after a squirrel. StarClan knows how that turned out.  
Hollypaw looked mad that they were laughing at her, but after seeing her sister giggle, she realized that a little embarrassment couldn't hurt! It was her fault after all..  
Settling down, Flametooth looked back to Heatherpaw with a thoughtful expression. To Heatherpaw's delight he agreed.

"Fine. You can try."

"Aha! Really?!"

Flametooth nodded, and waved his tail to the right of him. "We've already made too much noise for prey to be around here, so go search around there to see what you can sniff out. Remember what I said, and don't go off too far!"

_Oh just you wait! I'll do better then just remember how to catch something!_

Without waiting any longer, Heatherpaw sprinted in the direction given, slowing down to a stalk as she got far enough.  
With her head held high, she sniffed the air.

_Bingo!_

There was defiantly some mice in the air. It was fresh too, and the air was going in the right direction!  
Following the scent, Heatherpaw spotted the mouse right away, it was sitting there, as if waiting for some predator to catch it! Perfect.

_Okay...remember what you learned!_

Heatherpaw pressed her body as close to the ground as she could without letting it drag onto the floor.  
The next step was to keep her tail off the ground, straight as a stick.

_You need to do this Heatherpaw! How are you going to be a good warrior if you can't even catch a simple mouse?_

So she stalked forward, inching closer and closer to her unsuspecting prey. Then, she pounced.

"Alright! Ripplecloud, you can basically slap pro-hunter on my name now!"

Hollypaw fluffed out her chest in pride over memorizing all the steps correctly this time.  
Her mentor rolled her eyes. "You're not a pro-hunter yet! You haven't even caught anything!"  
Hollypaw giggled and gazed to the side. "Yea, well I bet my sister is one! You should of seen her when we were kits! Pouncing on every little thing!"  
Flametooth shook his head at Hollypaw with a chuckle. "Pouncing on everything doesn't make you a good hunter."  
"It sure worked for Heatherpaw." She retorted, pointing her tail over to the bushes.  
Heatherpaw emerged from them, carrying a small mouse between her jaws.  
Flametooth stood up and actually looked impressed with his apprentice.

"Wow, you actually caught a mouse..." He smirked. "Well, you learn fast. Less work for me."

Ripplecloud walked over to Flametooth and slapped the back of his head. "That's not what you should be saying!"  
Hollypaw bounced from behind Ripplecloud, bowing to her sister. "You did so well! Think you can show me?!"  
Ripplecloud gave Hollypaw an offended look, "Hey, I'm your mentor here."  
"Why not let them learn from each other, just this once? I've noticed that Hollypaw is doing the pouncing right, but the posture needs some work, and its the exact opposite for Heatherpaw."  
Flametooth did make a good point.  
Ripplecloud thought for a second before finally nodding her head in agreement. "Alright, alight, just this once."

_Yes! I get to work with my sister this time!_

Heatherpaw dropped her mouse before getting into a hunting crouch with her sister. She positioned her tail just like she did during her catch. "Alright Hollypaw, hold out your tail like-"  
"What was it like to catch your first prey?" Hollypaw interrupted.

_Isn't there a better time to ask questions like this?_

"...Well..I was scared that I would miss it when I pounced, since my leg nearly went a whole other direction."  
All Hollypaw did was nod, copying her sisters movements.  
"Make sure you're tail stays straight as possible!" Ripplecloud called out as she noticed Hollypaw's being shaky.  
They both nodded.  
"Ok, next just curve your back lik-"  
"You do know the gathering is in soon, right?"

_Why was she talking like normal? Didn't she want to learn?_

By the look of things, it didn't seem like Hollypaw wanted to actually learn. So, Heatherpaw gave in.  
"Yea. What about it?"  
Hollypaw lowered her voice to a whisper, "You know that piece of prey you caught? Thats your ticket in!"  
Heatherpaw did the same, trying to keep quiet. "What? What do you mean? Am I supposed to walk to the gathering with a mouse in my mouth and I'm in?"  
Hollypaw rolled her eyes. "No, but I heard if you work hard in your apprentice training, you can go!"

_We can't work hard if you keep taking!_

"I don't understand how a mouse is going to help me work hard..."  
Heatherpaw spaced out her paws, and Hollypaw did the same.  
"If you show that mouse off to daddy, he'll be so proud that he'll let you go!"

_What? I can't be a show off! I don't even have the courage to talk to him half the time, how am I supposed to show off to him?_

Hollypaw could already tell what Heatherpaw's response would be, so she looked down, practicing the step of her paws. "I know you might not be up to it, but do think about how fun going to your first gathering could be!"  
"Even if I did, what about you? How are you supposed to go?"  
Hollypaw smiled and shrugged. "To be honest, I know I'm not ready to catch anything yet." She gave herself a pity giggle. "But you did! So I'm just telling you what you could do!"  
Heather paw gave a coy smile. She loved the way her and Hollypaw were always looking out for each other.  
"Thanks. But theres no way I'm going anywhere without you!"  
Hollypaw only giggled in response.

"Enough of the chit chat! You'll never learn anything if you keep that up!"

"Sorry!"

* * *

Heatherpaw entered camp with the mouse hanging from her jaws, followed by the rest of the cats.  
"I swear I could of caught something if you let me try again!" Hollypaw pouted, stomping around like an angry badger.  
Ripplecloud didn't say anything, only giving Hollypaw an amused look.  
"Heatherpaw! Go put that on the fresh kill pile!"  
Heatherpaw nodded, about to head off until she spotted her father close to the fresh-kill pile. This could be her chance to actually go to the gathering! Though, she couldn't just leave Hollypaw behind like that. She couldn't ever walk up to her father anyways. Well, the next best thing is to actually bring the prey to some cat.  
"Hey Flametooth…may I please take this to the elders?"  
Flametooth looked surprised as he nodded slowly. "Yea. Go take that to the elders den then, I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

_Yes! I'd be feeding the elders just like a warrior! This'll feel much more rewarding then shamelessly showing off. Who needs to go to a silly old gathering anyway? Wait till the elders see this piece of prey, they'll be so happy!_

Heatherpaw happily skipped to the elders den, being greeted by three old cats at the entrance. Now the elders den looked more diverse then the rest of the dens. It was surrounded by stumps that formed a small living area. The thing that covered the cats from the weather was various broken branches and leaves that piled onto tree branches that were close by. It was a surprise that it was stable enough to never fall. There was _only_ three elders that occupied the den. She'd hate to bring just a mouse that couldn't be shared by everyone.  
Heatherpaw dropped the mouse and cleared her throat,trying to sound as respectful as her father was when he talked to his deputy.

"I caught this mouse earlier today, my first catch ever! I want to give it to you guys for all you did for StormClan!"  
The middle elder, a tan tom, started to laugh. "That tiny thing?"  
The elder next to him, a blue colored she-cat slapped the old cat on the back of his head.

"Don't be so rude!"

She turned back to Heatherpaw with an apologetic look. "This is the very first prey she caught, and she was so kind enough to bring it to us."  
The old tom began to chuckle. "Yea, thanks for the snack before dinner!"  
Heatherpaw seemed a little hurt, but she knew he was just joking...she hoped.  
"Thank you!" The old she-cat waved as Heatherpaw headed off to the apprentice den, but before she could a pair of massive dark brown paws stopped her.

"Your very first catch, and you personally give it to the elders. How kind of you. I'm really glad your training is going well."

Heatherpaw was going to faint! Her father is giving her praise! She wanted to be more happy, but she couldn't. Even though she didn't do it, she considered the idea of showing off to him. That wasn't right of her. The she-cat almost felt as if she should apologize to her father, but she would just sound stupid!

"T-thank you da- er, Hawkstar."

She can't call him daddy anymore. Those were her kit days. She has to refer to him as Hawkstar now. It sounded a little more respectful that way.  
Hawkstar placed his big paw on Heatherpaws head, ruffling her fur.  
"You know, the gathering is going to be happening soon, I was thinking for what you did, you should be able to go."

_What?!_

The brown she-cat nearly choked on the air! Hawkstar was letting her go to the gathering! She didn't even have to show off like her sister advised!

_Wait...my sister...there was no way Hollypaw would forgive me if she went to the gathering without her. Also, I didn't earn this…all I did was catch a mouse, any cat could do that._

Heatherpaw coughed, building up the courage to talk back.

"Um...thank you sir, but...I couldn't go without Hollypaw. It just wouldn't be fair to go without my sister. I'm sorry."  
Hawkstar nodded, pulling his paw back down to the ground. "I see."

_So much for a new experience..._

"Then she can go too."

Heatherpaw was so shocked that when she tried to respond, all that came out was a weird high pitched noise, like a quack from a duck.  
Hawkstar gave a mighty laugh, and turned to walk off. "Please, go. You deserve it! Your mentors told me how much you two have been training. Its good to take a break once in a while."

_Is this really happening?! I so wasn't ready for that answer! I sounded like a whole other animal! Oh brother, I must of looked like an idiot to my father! Urg! I can't worry about that now! I have to tell Hollypaw!_

The apprentice ran off, much like a burning firecracker, ready to explode any second if she didn't get the news out.  
Heatherpaw dashed over to the apprentice den, looking around only to find that Hollypaw wasn't in here.

_Where could she have gone? I saw her walk in here earlier._

"Hollypaw went to the dirt place." Heatherpaw looked to the side to see Birchpaw, the only one in the den, laying down on his side.

"Oh. Thanks."

_I guess I'll just wait for her then..._

The den grew quiet, the only sound being the rustling of leaves that lie above them, waiting to be taken away by the wind.  
It was too quiet. It made it so awkward.  
Heatherpaw glanced to the side at Birchpaw, who seemed to look like he felt the same way, tail swishing back and forth like a metronome and eyes wandering everywhere in his field of vision.

_Well, now is better time then ever to start some actual conversation with my den mate._

Heatherpaw shifted awkwardly, "So..uh Birchpaw, hows the training getting along?"  
Heatherpaw heard him chuckle.  
"You were standing there forever and that's the best starter you got?"

"W-what?"

"Hahaha! I'm just kidding!" Bitrchpaw was now laying on his back, smiling like a mad cat.  
Heatherpaw blushed slightly, turning away so that her face couldn't be seen, though that didn't work as Hollypaw was standing beside her with a mischievous smile.

_Oh don't you even Hollypaw.._

With a sigh, Heatherpaw leaned in to talk with her sister.

"We're going to the gathering!"

"Yea, I know. All we gotta do is work really hard!"  
"No," Heatherpaw breathed, "Hawkstar told me that we can go! All because I brought that mouse to the elders!"  
Hollypaw's face was priceless, surprise with a mixture of pure joy, right before she bounced all around the den. "I can't believe it! We're going to the gathering!"

"Just because you're Hawkstar's daughters."

Violetpaw just walked in, her face covered in anger. Hollypaw didn't say anything this time, just giving a hard stare as if daring Violetpaw to say anything else.  
Violetpaw did just that. "I think its wrong that a couple of little kits like you should be allowed at a gathering! You'd interrupt the leaders with your cries for your mommy!"  
Birchpaw sat up, his eyes coated in disapproval.  
"Violetpaw, stop being so mean. You should be happy they have the opportunity to attend."  
Heatherpaw blushed. It made her feel liked when he actually stepped up for them.  
"Why should I be happy for them when we deserve it far more?! We've been working hard for five moons now! How long has they been here?! Only one!"  
Hollypaw looked angry now, sticking out her claws. "You shut your eating hole right now! You have no reason to be so mean to us! We work just as hard as you do!"  
Heatherpaw got up as well. She couldn't just let her sister do all the talking like last time. Last time Hollypaw stuck up for her, so it's time Heatherpaw repaid the favor. All she had to do, was act calm and rational then, nothing could go wrong, right? "Violetpaw, I know you're upset but you shouldn't take it out on us, have you even talked to your mentor about going yet? Maybe you could-"  
Violetpaw jumped forward, pushing Heatherpaw onto the ground. "Stop acting so high and mighty like your better then us!" With a thud, Heatherpaw fell, hitting her head on the cold ground.  
Thats when it happened again.  
Her vision cut to black for a second time, slowly fading in to a figure of a she-cat. The cat in question looked to be young, with brown fur, looking outside to the pitch black night from the inside of…an apprentice den..much like…this one.  
Heatherpaw knew the cat couldn't see her, she was standing right in font of her, but even so, she couldn't see her face. It looked as if it was blurred out. Heatherpaw sniffed the air, only to slowly step back in response.

_This cat…she smells…she smells a lot like me!_

Suddenly the cat looked to the ground, but Heatherpaw couldn't see what she was looking at, she could only see so much.  
Then her vision began to fade out, reveling the hard floor of the apprentice den she fell onto.  
Lifting her head, Heatherpaw could see Birchpaw get up, presumably to shoo Violetpaw away, but Hollypaw beat him to a reaction, tackling Violetpaw to the ground. "Don't you ever touch my sister like that!" She spat, pinning Violetpaw down. Although Hollypaw seemed to forget that Violetpaw was much older, so she easily pushed Hollypaw off, tackling back as she started swatting at Hollypaw.  
Heatherpaw didn't even have time to think about what just happened, she had to stop this fight before it got out of control! Her sister could get hurt!

"Stop it this instant!"

A quick turn revealed Ripplecloud had made her way in, followed by Violetpaw's mentor, Riverwing, and…Hawkstar.  
The two scruffs immediately stopped fighting, Violetpaw rolling off of Hollypaw. Hollypaw coughed a little from loss of air for a few seconds, then sat up.

"I can't believe you two! Especially you Violetpaw! You had just earned your way to go to the gathering!" Violetpaw's mentor hissed.

Violetpaw pressed her ears against her skull, and pressed her body close to the ground in shame.

Heatherpaw focused her attention to Hawkstar, and for the first time ever, she saw him look disappointed. Even though she knew it wasn't directed at her, Heatherpaw felt her heart shatter at the thought of Hawkstar being upset at them.  
"What happened here?" Hawkstar demanded.  
Since Violetpaw wasn't thinking to respond anytime soon, Hollypaw spoke up.  
"Violetpaw pushed Heatherpaw to the ground, so I…tackled her."  
Hawkstar turned to Heatherpaw. "Is this true?"  
Heatherpaw tensed up, feeling a mix between terror and anxiety as she nodded. "Y-yea. Violetpaw pushed me, so.."  
"I'm sorry. But I cannot allow for such behavior to go unnoticed, Hollypaw, you could of went to the gathering this moon, but due to this behavior, you cannot. " Ripplecloud narrowed her eyes.  
Riverwing agreed. "Same goes for you Violetpaw."  
Both Violetpaw and Hollypaw looked down in despair, not planning to say anymore.  
All the words in the world couldn't describe how guilty Heatherpaw felt about the whole thing. To her, it was her fault, if she didn't say anything in the first place, Hollpaw wouldn't have had to fight back for her.  
"We'll discuss your punishments later. You are to stay in the apprentice den until further notice."  
The mentors stalked off.  
Hawkstar stayed present for a moment longer, looking at Hollypaw.

"I'm sorry it had to turn out like this, but maybe this will teach you to keep your paws to yourself next time." He turned his attention to Violetpaw. "Also, just because I'm saying this to Hollypaw, doesn't mean this doesn't apply to you too."

With that, he walked off to join the mentors.  
They all sat in silence.  
Berchpaw was still standing off to the side, just watching the whole show go down.  
Violetpaw sniffled, keeping her head low.  
Heatherpaw knew she was on the verge of crying. Even though Violetpaw was a big meanie, hearing any cat cry would make her upset.  
Hollypaw must have noticed too, because she spoke up to Violetpaw. "I'm sorry."

_It must of took a lot of nerve to say that…_

Violet paw didn't say anything for a while, when she did, it made Heatherpaw roll her eyes.

"Yea, w-well you should be!"

Knowing better now, Hollypaw decided to ignore it, walking over to Heatherpaw.  
"I'm sorry Hollypaw. You should have had to do that…"  
Hollypaw swatted Heatherpaw's shoulder. "Don't apologize, I did that because I chose to. I couldn't watch her just push you down like that with no consequence!"

_Even so, I shouldn't have said anything…_

"Guess this means no gathering for us then, huh?"

_Fox dung. I was really looking forward to it too.._

"No, you're still going."

"Wha? Without you? I'm not doing that!"

Hollypaw looked at her with a cheerful expression, even though Heatherpaw could tell it was a forced smile.

"You have to go. I'm not taking no for an answer! I can't let you get punished for something I did! What kind of a cat would I be?!" She stuck her tongue out, trying to lighten the mood.  
It didn't work much, but Heatherpaw smiled anyways.

"Thanks, but I really ca-"

"If you don't go, I'm going to make sure your bed is soggy and wet for the net two moons!"  
Heatherpaw blinked. The sad part was, she knew her sister wasn't lying.  
Even though Heatherpaw didn't want to go without her sister, it didn't mean she doesn't want to go entirely. So maybe…maybe she should go. Her sister wasn't giving her much of an option anyways. With a deep sigh, Heatherpaw licked her sisters cheek and pressed her warm fur against hers.  
"Fine, I'll go."

Hollypaw licked her sister's cheek back, relaxing for a moment.  
Thats when Heatherpaw remembered what happened when she fell to the ground.

_It..happened again, but it was different this time...a weird circle and a she-cat looking out the apprentice den? Was StarClan sending me weird messages or something? No, that couldn't be it. StarClan only spoke to medicine cats. So, if that wasn't the case...whats happening to me? It seems to happen at random since the way they both started have nothing in common...okay. Maybe...maybe it really is nothing. Maybe I'm just remember some past dreams. Yea. Thats it. I'm sure it won't happen again.  
_

Heatherpaw pushed this issue to the back of her head. Right now, she has to be here for Hollypaw.


	5. Chapter 5

"Heatherpaw, up."

Flametooth's urgent call echoed off the apprentice den walls, making itself heard by the sleeping pile of fur.  
With a groan, the apprentice stood up, blinking off any sleep that dared to linger within her body.  
It was just turning day, the sky being a very dark blue, but it's nocturnal stars were already in bed.  
It was just the day after the fight between Hollypaw and Violetpaw, which Heatherpaw still felt guilty of, despite her sister's reassurance.

"We're going to start practicing fighting today," Flametooth informed her.

Now Heatherpaw was fully awake! She had been eager to start fighting. When she was a kit she would always get praise for her fighting skills when she played with her sister. Maybe she could impress her mentor!

_Hang on...why didn't he wake up Hollypaw?_

As if he read her mind, the strong warrior spoke again. "We'll be training with Birchpaw and his mentor, Ravenpath, today."

Brown cheeks turned a slight shade of red. This is the first time Heatherpaw would get to train with another apprentice beside her sister. Was that even a good thing, though? "What about Hollypaw? What will she do today?" Heatherpaw asked.

"That's up to her mentor." He turned. "Come on now, with the time you're taking, it's going to turn night."

Heatherpaw obeyed, taking one last glance at her sleeping sister before following her mentor out the entrance.

_I sincerely hope Hollypaw isn't going to be stuck in there all day, just going to training without her seems like a crime..._

"We're meeting them there. Now, listen..." Flametooth began, slowing his pace. "Birchpaw is a more experienced apprentice, so you might fall under him more then you overtake him. You're here to learn from your mistakes, so don't feel like you're not doing a good job." He gave Heatherpaw a smile, though his narrowed eyes made it seem like an evil grin. "As long as you try your best, you're doing good. When you're a warrior, you may have weak points, yeah, but that doesn't mean you should give up on them. Always try."  
Heatherpaw nodded, soaking in her mentor's advice. She knew Birchpaw was an older apprentice, so she had already been prepared to fail more then once.  
The trio made their way through the surrounding trees to an open area, much like the flower field on the west side of the territory. If there were flowers here before, they had all been trampled on. Dirt patches and small hills could be seen all around the area. More then likely it's because this was a fight area, lots of jumps slides and running went on around here.  
Heatherpaw spotted Birchpaw and Ravenpath a few feet away. They looked as if they had already been practicing with their messy appearance. This was Heatherpaw's first time seeing Birchpaw's mentor. He was a cat of mixed browns and blacks. His fur was so long and thick, it was impossible to tell the true figure of him.

"Heatherpaw! Hey!" Birchpaw greeted, waving his tail around over his head.  
Ravenpath lowered his head to a bow, smiling. "Nice to see you Flametooth, Heatherpaw. You sure got big!"  
Heatherpaw was going to respond before Flametooth stepped forward, cutting her off. "Nice to see you, too. What are we going to practice first?"

"I was thinking since Heatherpaw is new to this we should try some beginner moves." Ravenpath nodded.

Flametooth shook his head. "But Birchpaw is sure to know those by now."

"Well what did you expect? We are trying to train a beginner with an exper-"

Heatherpaw zoned out. She really had no interest in the negotiation between those two, instead she was interested in Birchpaw, who was piercing her skin with his dark brown gaze.  
"Wheres Hollypaw?" He whispered, "You two are usually inseparable!"  
Heatherpaw huffed, wishing Hollypaw was here. It would make more sense to train a beginner with another beginner after all.

"Don't you remember what happened yesterday? I bet Ripplecloud is punishing Hollypaw. That's the only reasonable answer to why she's not training with me..."

It seemed kind of cruel to separate the two sisters, but its not like Heatherpaw could do anything about it.  
Birchpaw tilted his head. "It seems wrong for Hollypaw to be punished for something Violetpaw started...sorry I didn't step in sooner."  
Heatherpaw's eyes softened. Theres no way Birchpaw was blaming himself! He did nothing wrong. "Please, don't think that! It was my-"  
Flametooth interrupted the two apprentices, swishing his long thin tail. "Alright, it's time to start training. We're going to start with an attack that's great for apprentices if ever they are needed in a fight."

_Apprentices can be called in battle?  
_Heatherpaw gulped at the thought.

Flametooth walked back a bit, and turned to the two apprentices. By this time Ravenpath had gone off to the side to observe.  
"I want to see the skills you have so far. Heatherpaw, do whatever you think might take me down." The strong warrior bent down slightly, waving his thin tail in the air. "Obviously, claws sheathed."  
Heatherpaw took a step back. There was no way she could take on Flametooth, he was so much bigger then her! Plus, she never had any battle training! What ever potential the orange warrior saw in her was clearly not here! But she had to try... if anything, she could finally see how her mentor was in battle!  
_Though its not a real battle..._  
Heatherpaw reminded herself.

"Don't worry Heatherpaw. You'll do fine. I'll back you up!" "Birchpaw gave Heatherpaw a comforting look.

Heatherpaw glanced at Birchpaw, feeling her face heat up, and looked back to Flametooth. "Okay."  
With narrowed eyes, the orange warrior began to dash forward like a monster, following its silver path.

_Wow! He's fast! I have to think quick!_

Just then, Birchpaw jumped forward, sliding by the warriors feet just in time to trip him.

_Great! This is my chance to attack!_

Not a second longer, Heatherpaw jumped on top of Flametooth's back, thumping her small paws against his back. It was sort of an awkward posistion to be in, Heatherpaw had jumped in front of Flametooth, so she was gripping onto his neck while her back legs sort of dangled off the warrior's head.

_I have him now- gah!_

Flameetooth had rolled over, squishing the inexperienced fighter under his weight.

"You had the right idea." Flametooth said casually, getting up. He didn't even seem phased.

Heatherpaw on the other paw, sat up, trying to breath just having all the air knocked out of her.  
Obviously the apprentice was doing something wrong when the attacker, her, has more effects then the victim, Flametooth!

Ravenpath walked over with a friendly smile. "That ended fast. Now, tell me what you think you did wrong."

_What I did wrong?_

"I...didn't jump fast enough?" Heatherpaw asked uncertainly.

Flametooth stepped next to Ravenpath. "You stayed on for too long, and your opponent wasn't distracted enough to let you stay on. That was partially Birchpaw's fault."

Birchpaw scuffled his paws in embarrassment. "Sorry."

Ravenpath nodded. "Now, listen up. The move we are going to teach you as we said before, is ideal for apprentices or small cats to use on a bigger enemy. When the warrior goes to dash forward, one should aim to get him off-balance for a second, then you both jump on his back. In battle, your claws would be unsheathed." Ravenpath bent down. "Try it again."

_Okay. Breathe. You can do this. Wait for Birchpaw to get him off balance, then jump!  
_With every second that passed by Heatherpaw felt panic._  
Oh I really hope I never have to be in battle while I'm still a training!_

Ravenpath backed up, waiting for the perfect moment.

"GO!"

Like last time, Birchpaw sped forward, but he knew his mentor was expecting his last move, so instead he ducked down as his mentor ran over him. Smart move on his part. Now underneath Ravenpath, Birchpaw kicked at his mentors belly, which sent the brown and black cat tumbling off his paws.

_Birchpaw is really good. I will be too! I got it this time!  
_Heatherpaw leaped forward onto the back of the fallen warrior, trying her best not lose her grip with her claws sheathed. She batted at the warriors head and pretended to rake his side. Heatherpaw felt him get up, so she jumped off and Birchpaw took her place and tackled the warrior.

_We're doing it! _

"Enough." Flametooth said calmly, padding up to the three.  
Heatherpaw saw Birchpaw jump of Ravenpath out of the corner of her eye.  
The beginning fighter stood up tall, she was very proud of herself.  
Being able to pull off a move like that in such a short time was something she never thought she could do! Pride bubbled up inside her as she tried to hold it in. She should tell her sister later!

"Birchpaw, good work. Your speed is slow, but Heatherpaw's speed will make up for that. Heatherpaw, you did okay, just a little shaky on your jump there. You certainly learned fast from the first try! I noticed that your attacks don't pack quite a punch, but Birchpaw makes up for that with his blows. I do think you two make a good team. If you two are ever in a battle together, you should join together. " Flametooth said.

Heatherpaw smiled, feeling her face heat up again as she turned to Birchpaw, who smiled back.  
"Alright, now, lets try some more basic moves for Heatherpaw." Ravenpath smiled.

* * *

The dark blue sky that had taken up the air had now turned orange, with it's giant shining star that was once at the peak of the sky, now disappearing under the horizon.

It was then when Heatherpaw and the others had finally come back from training. After saying her farewells, Heatherpaw raced off to find her sister.

_Hmm... the apprentices' den seems empty… I hope Ripplecloud isn't training her super hard. Wait, that's not the case._

Heatherpaw could clearly see Ripplecloud was sitting with a few warriors near the fresh-kill pile. So if Hollypaw wasn't with her, where was she off to now?

_Today was a long day…all I want to do now spend the rest of my time with Hollypaw. I hope I find her soon. I wonder what she's been up to? I hope she wasn't too bored being stuck in camp all day..._

"Hey! You missed a spot over here!" A familiar old voice called out from the left of Heatherpaw, which made her turn to see the owner.

_It's that old cat from yesterday! Whats he going on about?_ Heatherpaw wondered. She was about to go investigate, but it seems she already spotted the answer.

Hollypaw ran outside of the elders den, covering her nose with a leaf as she gave a disguised face. "It's too much Shrewflight! I can't! Please don't make me!"

_What is going on?! I better get over there!_

As Heatherpaw ran to Hollypaw, an unforgettable smell hit her nose with all it's force, strong enough to make her stop in her tracks and cough.

_Mouse Bile! Oh my StarClan, that stinks!_

Hollypaw spotted Heatherpaw and gave her a pleading look, almost as is screaming 'help me!'

There were times when sisters would always be together, paw in paw, helping each other from any situation. Heatherpaw gave Hollypaw an apologetic look, much to the despair of Hollypaw, and turned around.

Right now wasn't one of those times.

Heatherpaw could still hear the pleas of the elder warrior.  
"Come on Hollypaw! I feel it bitin'! Around my backside, come on, get it! Get it!"

_I'm sorry Hollypaw._  
Heatherpaw looked up to the sky as she neared the apprentice den. "StarClan forgive me for my injustice." She whispered.  
"Heatherpaw."  
Flametooth had made his way next to his apprentice with a stern look. "The Gathering is coming up real soon. Now, you are usually well behaved, thats not what I'm worried about."

_A talk about the gathering? If he isn't worried about the way I act, what other is there to worry about?..._

"You are not to talk to any other clan cat."  
Heatherpaw's eyes widened in shock, having to take a moment to even process his command.

_What?! No..no talking to other cats?…but isn't that the whole point of a gathering? To be together in peace for a day?_

"SunClan has been really jumpy with us lately. They won't even let us get near the boarder without a fight. So try to keep low. The last thing we need is for a fight to break out." The orange warrior sighed.  
Heatherpaw pressed her ears against her skull. "So…since it's only SunClan making a fuss, can't I talk to any other cat?" Her voice sounded disappointed, almost as if she was ripped of any enjoyment she once had.  
Flametooth shook his head.  
"Sorry, but this Gathering, we have to stick to ourselves." Flameout looked to the warriors den. "It seems as if all the clans are after us for no reason." He sighed.  
"Hopefully soon they'll get their sticks out of their tails. That's all I wanted to tell you. Are you going to be okay with this? You still have an option not to go, you know."  
As much as she wanted to stay in the camp with Hollypaw, Heatherpaw promised she would go. It was a whole new experience that she most likely won't get to experience again soon.  
"I'm still going. Consider it my word, I won't talk to any other cat! I'll behave." Her eyes grew big as she looked up to her mentor. "I promise."  
Flametooth smiled, placing his paw on her head to ruffle her fur like her father once did. "Good." he paused, then began to smirk. "So. I saw you abandon your sister in a time of need up there."  
Heather paw gulped, shaking her head franticly.  
"No, uh, no! Oh, great StarClan am I tired! Looks like after a long day of training this apprentice needs some shut-eye!"  
Heatherpaw ran into the apprentice den. "Thanks Flametooth, see you, night!"  
Flametooth shook his head as he watch Heatherpaw spring away like a scared rabbit. The warrior wasn't going to chase her down now. His smirk grew. He'd have her rubbing the elders for ticks next time.

"Flametooth, may I have a word with you?"

Flametooth turned and spotted Hawkstar, close by the leader's den, without any slight hesitation, the warrior ran to his leader's side.  
For as long as any cat could remember, Hawkstar had always looked so calm and brave. Though right now, in front of this warrior, he looked scared.  
"Is something wrong, sir?" Flametooth questioned, concerned by his leader's expression.  
Hawkstar looked to his side. "It's Oakfoot. I haven't seen him all day, and he's not in the camp. I've checked everywhere."  
Flametooth blinked. Really? Do you think he's gone on patrol or something?"

"No, he's been gone for most of yesterday and today. I had to arrange all the patrols lately…where could he have gone?" Hawkstar looked around as if he would find the warrior casually walking by any time now.  
Flametooth looked worried too, now. How could a warrior just up and disappear like that? They both knew Oakfoot would never walk away from clan duties. He was the deputy, after all. He was very loyal and would do anything to protect his can mates. So where was he?

"Well… don't worry. Oakfoot is a strong, young warrior. Where ever he is, I'm sure he's safe and... alive."  
Flametooth coughed. "We'll find him soon Hawkstar. I'll lead a group of warriors around the territory to look."

Hawkstar nodded. "Thank you, Flametooth. I know I can always count on you." The leader looked up towards the sky that was now covered in bright white lights.  
"I hope he is safe. StarClan be with him."


	6. Chapter 6

The night sky sheltered over he seemingly endless forest, home to a group of wild cats. One of those cats happened to be awake, staring at the dark blue cover up above from the apprentice den.

Heatherpaw let out a small sigh as she watched the stars twinkle and dance around before her eyes. The night sky was always there to calm the apprentice down in times of worry or nervousness.

Well, what she could see of the sky from under these trees.

Since the apprentice got invited to the gathering, she'd been feeling guilty. Heatherpaw really hated the thought of having to go to the gathering without the company of her sister.

It wasn't like she had a choice, though.

Hollypaw wanted her to go, and Hawkstar was expecting her there.

There was almost no point in going anymore, Flametooth had told her not to talk to any cat, and no one that Heatherpaw was close to would be going.

It would just be Heatherpaw.

Alone.

The apprentice sighed once more, rolling onto her back.  
_Maybe… maybe I just shouldn't go… I honestly don't know anymore. It's not here yet, so why am I stressing about it now?_

Heatherpaw looked to her left to glance at her sleeping sister who was pressed against her. Hollypaw's light brown fur shined under the moonlight; and her breathing was gentle and calm, like she was having a great dream.

_I should get some sleep..._

Heatherpaw should, but she just couldn't. Her concerns were keeping her up.

"Having trouble falling asleep?"

Heatherpaw's ears perked up, turning her head to see glowing brown eyes from the other side of the apprentice den get closer. She began to feel warmer than usual as the cat silently stepped to her side. "Birchpaw, you're up this late?" Heatherpaw asked. She clearly seemed to be nervous as she glanced to the side and giggled awkwardly.

Birchpaw smiled, and nodded. "I can't sleep either, it seems."

Heatherpaw let out a hum in acknowledgment. Thinking it rude, Heatherpaw decided not to ask why he couldn't sleep.

Cats need their privacy.

The two stayed quiet, looking up into the night sky until Birchpaw breathed in. "I always love the night. Its just so calming, don't you think?"

_That's exactly what I think!_ Heatherpaw swished her tail happily.  
"Yes," she breathed, "When I can't sleep, its the only thing that keeps me calm. It might be the reason I'm awake!" The she-cat giggled quietly, trying not to wake everyone in the den.

Then, Birchpaw stepped out of the den, turning to look at Heatherpaw, who was still lying next to her sister. "Since we're both up, why not take a walk?" Birchpaw asked.

"A walk?" Heatherpaw questioned. There was no way any cat would let them outside the camp, what was Birchpaw thinking?

"Yes, a walk. Come on, trust me. No cat will stop us!"

_… It's not like I'll be sleeping anytime soon… _  
Heatherpaw nodded her head, finally accepting his offer. She slowly got up, careful not to wake her sister, and stopped next to Birchpaw.

Birchpaw's whiskers twitched. "Great, follow me." He began to walk near the elder's den.

With one last quick look at Hollypaw, Heatherpaw followed. I hope we don't get in trouble...

Continuing to follow Birchpaw, he seemed to lead to a certain bush close to the elder's den. Without even stopping to explain, Birchpaw crawled into the bush, going to the other side.

Heatherpaw froze up. _What was he doing? Does he really expect her to blatantly follow him out camp?_

There was only the noise of his paw steps getting further.

_I guess so… _She sighed and crawled through the bush to find him again. Birchpaw was ahead, but not by much, so Heatherpaw easily caught up with him. They continued to walk for a while without speaking until Heatherpaw couldn't handle the silence any longer. "We're going pretty far away from camp, we should go back, really..."

Everything looked almost different at night. The trees around them seemed to block any sort of moonlight, so that didn't help. At least in the day there would be some light.

Birchpaw brushed his fluffy tail on Heatherpaw's shoulder, making her blush. "We won't be out here for long, I just want to show you something. Maybe seeing it will help put both our minds, at ease."

As he said that, Heatherpaw could see an open field ahead, flowers coated all over the place like grass. Our clan's sunbathing spot! I remember this from when I was first made an apprentice! Heatherpaw smiled to herself.

It was close to two moons since her name became Heatherpaw.

The first time out of camp was so fun! It was such a shame they had to leave so early because it was getting dark. Heatherpaw blinked.  
_Wait, I'm getting off track, why are we here in the first place? _  
Heatherpaw turned to Birchpaw as they stopped just before the cover of the trees disappeared. "Why are we here?" She gulped, looking around. This place was really far away from camp. She couldn't help but feel this was all very wrong. Sneaking out like this shouldn't be what great warriors do!

"Look up and see for yourself." Birchpaw advised.

_Look up?_ Heatherpaw hesitantly lifted her head towards the sky, and almost instantly, it was like she was transported to StarClan itself. The big round moon was high in the sky, surrounded by the sparkling friends that danced and ran across the big blue sky. In this open area, which not to mention had a pleasing aroma due to all the flowers, everything in the night sky was shown.

Unlike back in the forest, where the trees liked to shelter the cats from such a sight as this one.

Just like that, it left Heatherpaw's worries and thoughts vanished from her mind, just like Birchpaw had said.

"When I was a new apprentice, they didn't show me, Shortpaw, or Violetpaw all of territory because it was late in the day." Birchpaw tilted his head.

Violetpaw. Hearing her name in such a light-hearted way made Heatherpaw feel weird.

"We had to sleep, but we couldn't. We were just so excited to see it all, but we were denied." He began to laugh. "Yeah, we could have waited for the next day, but who likes to wait? So all three of us snuck out and found this very spot."

"Just like that?! You guys didn't even stop to consider how horrible of an idea that might if been?!" Heatherpaw gasped.

Birchpaw gave a sheepish grin. "We were young! We never thought twice about anything!"

Heatherpaw couldn't help but laugh, which made Birchpaw let out a chuckle. "Anyways," he continued, "We all just sat around for a while until we realized we were really lost! The territory was so big and every tree looked the same! It was horrible."

"How did you find your way back?" Heatherpaw asked, very interested on hearing about Birchpaw in his younger days!

"Fawnslash, who at the time was an apprentice, woke up to find us gone. He told the night watch and a patrol of five warriors came looking! We got in so much trouble. To think our first day as apprentices was the worst!"

The two laughed hysterically, seeming to forget they were supposed to be quiet.

"I think I remember that! You guys were made into apprentices when I was close to five moons. I remember a lot of the warriors were tired and in a bad mood, cursing 'curious kits'."

They giggled, and then grew quiet again. It seemed weird to mention that she was a kit when he was first apprentice. She didn't want him to think that just because he was older, he was better! Heatherpaw looked to Birchpaw and got down into a crouching position. "Right here, right now!" She hissed.

"What?" Birchpaw's ear twitched.

"Fight me!" Heatherpaw thrashed her trail around.

Birchpaw simply got up, and turned around. "You can't be serious! You've only had a few training sessions."

Heatherpaw shrugged, still looking ready to take on her den mate.

Birchpaw shook his head. "Maybe next time. Right now I think we should go back. Besides, we need sleep!"

Heatherpaw sat up, feeling rejected by her companion she kept her head low. Like there'll ever be a time like this again! Heatherpaw shook her head, and followed Birchpaw back to camp.

She must have seemed like such a kit just then!

Oh well... it was pretty fun. The she-cat glanced up at Birchpaw as she followed behind.

Her ears grew warm._Yeah, this was nice. Just what I needed for a good night sleep_. Heatherpaw smiled.

* * *

Cats all around, it looked like all of the color in them was draining. The last place color was left was in their paws, until that too drained, and the cats dropped dead. Heatherpaw was shaken, almost close to crying. They were the cats from her clan, Flametooth, Riverwing, Ripplecloud, and Shrewflight… Petaltail… Hawkstar... They were all losing color, and when the final ounce of color drained from their bodies they dropped dead. Why was this happening?! Why why why why?! Hollypaw screamed to her sister, running to her just as the color was disappearing from her paws. "Hollypaw, no! No!"

"Hollypaw!" Heatherpaw cried out as she woke up from her horrendous nightmare.

An irritated response rang out from beside Heatherpaw. "What?" Hollypaw gave her sister a grouchy look.

_A dream… yeah, a dream, of course… how could I have thought that was real? _Heatherpaw took a moment to calm herself down before responding to her sister. Even though it was just a dream, it really scared her. It just seemed too real to forget. "Sorry… uh, didn't mean to yell your name..." Heatherpaw noted that they were the only ones in the den.

Hollypaw's eyes softened, then she laid her head back on her paws. "Its fine. You seemed like you were having a bad dream. Wanna talk about it?"

Heatherpaw shook her head. If Hollypaw knew the kind of dreams she was having, her sister would think her crazy! No normal cat has nightmares like this. Hollypaw paused for a moment before nodding her head. "Okay! I'm here if you need anything!" She smiled.

Heatherpaw smiled back.

"Oh and," Hollypaw's face altered into that of a mischievous one. "Have fun last night?" She snickered.

"What?!" Heatherpaw could feel her face flush and she couldn't help but press her ears back. The memories of last night's trip came flooding back into her mind like a river. "How did you know?!"

"You left me cold for a while!" Hollypaw pouted. "Then I saw that Birchpaw was gone, too."

Heatherpaw broke eye contact with Hollypaw to look down, shifting her paws. "Sorry."

Hollypaw turned her head away from her sister and let out a 'hmp'. "I'll forgive you… if you admit you like Birchpaw!"

Heatherpaw tensed up. "I do not! We're just friends!"

Hollypaw rolled over and got up. "That's what Petaltail told us she said when she met Hawkstar!" Hollypaw decided to quickly change the subject, depriving Heatherpaw of any sort of reply. "I have a break today, Ripplecloud is feeling sick, so I'm left to wander camp."

"Is she okay?" Heatherpaw wondered, forgetting the whole conversation beforehand.

"Yeah, she should feel better soon! Wanna go check on her?"

What about my training?

"Flametooth is busy, too. I saw him leave with a patrol just before you woke up." Hollypaw answered her thoughts.

_Without me?... I wish I could go on a patrol..._

"I guess so," Heatherpaw shrugged. "Since Flametooth left me behind!"

Hollypaw giggled, pawing at her sister. "Oh please! You'll, get your patrol status soon!" She hopped out of the den and ran to the medicine cat den.

"Hollypaw! Wait!" Heatherpaw raced after her.

When they reached the den, Heatherpaw had to take a second to breath after having to run like that! It was like her sister was faster than her!

The medicine cat den was made of dirt, covered in lots of plants and moss. It almost looked as if a wave of soil was meant to wash over the area, but froze in mid fall. Vines and tree branches seemed to hang over the edge of the entrance, giving more shelter to bad weather or cold wind. As much as she saw this den, she'd never been inside, most likely because she never got sick. Neither did Hollypaw, so this must have been a first to them both. "Mistyfern!" Hollypaw called, "Mistyfern we're here to see Ripplecloud!"

In an instant, Mistyfern's multi-colored face popped out from the cover of the den looking ready to kill. "Keep quiet! Please! Ripplecloud is trying to sleep!"

The two sisters backed up, Heatherpaw bowing her head and Hollypaw copying the action. "Sorry Mistyfern, we didn't know!" Heatherpaw apologized.

Mistyfern shook her head, now calm she smiled. "Its fine. Just be more considerate next time." The medicine cat examined two with great joy. "You two have gotten big, haven't you?" Her brown nose twitched. "Enjoying the apprentice life?"

"Yes!" Hollypaw bounced.

"Yeah, its a lot of work. Though, its worth it!" Heatherpaw beamed.

The colorful warrior gave a nod. "Good to hear it. Now, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have to get back to Ripplecloud. When she's awake later, you can visit her. I'm sure she wouldn't mind the company."

"Okay! Thanks Mistyfern!" Hollypaw bounced towards the fresh-kill pile now.

Before Heatherpaw could follow, Mistyfern called her back. "Hey, Heatherpaw..." She stood silent after as if trying to figure out a puzzle. "Stay close to your clanmates… okay?" She said finally.

_Stay close to my clanmates? What did she mean...? Oh! She probably meant the gathering. Guess every cat knows about that then, huh?_ "I will! See you around Mistyfern!"

Mistyfern tried to hide her disappointment as if her messaged was missed entirely.

Hollypaw and Heatherpaw met up again, picking up a piece of fresh-kill.

The hunting patrol had gotten back while they were off talking to Mistyfern, and the Elders and queens looked like they had their share, so it was time for the clan to eat!_Flametooth isn't back yet… he probably went on border patrol... I wonder when he'll let me come with him?_

Hollypaw took a bit of the mouse they had been sharing, and made a satisfying sound. "Mmmm, mmh! This is really good! I haven't eaten all day!"

Heatherpaw's ears perked up at that. "You've been up all day?"

Hollypaw nodded, not thinking anything of it. "Yeah, I was waiting for you to get up! You were sleeping like a rock! Glad you didn't have training today, or you would have been really tired."

Heatherpaw didn't know why her sister did that, she could be doing many other things then waiting for her to get up. It sweet of her though. But Heatherpaw's smile didn't last for long.

Hollypaw really did so much for Heatherpaw.

It would seem like a total slap in the face if Heatherpaw just up and went to the gathering without her.

What a way to repay Hollypaw for all she's done.

Hollypaw noticed her sister's lack of interest in eating and laid her tail on Heatherpaw's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

With a sigh, the dark brown apprentice nodded. "Just thinking about the gathering. Do you… do you really want me to go without you? It seems wrong. Really wrong. I don't want you to be upset with me because I left you!"

Hollypaw sighed as well, but reassured her sister with a genuine smile. "Silly! I'm not upset! Stop worrying about it, Heatherpaw, I want you to go! I can probably go next time! Just you wait; pretty soon I'm going to be such an amazing apprentice they'll let me go to the gathering! Maybe even give me my warrior name super early!" The apprentice gave smug look, holding a paw to her chest.

Heatherpaw couldn't help but roll her eyes at this. "Thanks, Hollypaw. I really have to make this up to you somehow."

"We're sisters!" Hollypaw licked Heatherpaw's cheek. "Don't even worry about it!"

The duo looked forward to see Hawkstar approaching them. Heatherpaw couldn't help but tense up and fix her posture as her father drew near.

Hollypaw clearly didn't feel the same as she nonchalantly waved her tail at their father.

Hawkstar stopped in front of his daughters and smiled. "Hey girls. How are my two kits today?"

"We're not kits anymore!" Hollypaw let out an 'hmph'.

The leader chuckled. "Of course! How could I forget? You two are apprentices now! Very good ones might I add."

_We probably still look like kits to him… _  
Even with how much Heatherpaw has grown, Hawkstar was still as big as a tree! If Heatherpaw ever saw him in battle, she'll bet every cat is scared of him! "Heatherpaw, are you doing alright?"

H-huh? "...Y-yes, I'm fine." Heatherpaw blinked.

Hawkstar was sitting now, bending to come into eye contact with Heatherpaw. "You know, there seem to be a few complaints of a noisy sleeper in the apprentice den..."

Violetpaw...

Hollypaw quickly lifted her head from her food. "Sorry! That's me! I'll keep it down-"

"No, it's me… sorry Hawkstar..." Heatherpaw sighed.

There was no way Heatherpaw could let Hollypaw do anymore for her. It was getting too much now, letting her do so much all the time. Why was Hollypaw so okay with it?

"No one is in trouble," Hawkstar assured, smiling. "I actually just wanted to know if you were sleeping okay, Heatherpaw. Do you talk in your sleep or something?"

Heatherpaw looked down. No, she still couldn't tell any cat about the dreams in detail, they were still far too weird, but she could still be honest without the full truth. "I have nightmares sometimes. I-I guess they got me twitching and talking in my sleep! That's what Hollypaw tells me..."

Hawkstar nodded, getting up. "I'm sorry to hear about that, but you know, why not tell your dreams to Mistyfern about it? I remember I used to have some scary dreams myself, when I was an apprentice! I told our old medicine cat and she taught me how to clear my mind before I sleep. It really did get rid of those 'scary dreams'."

Heatherpaw nodded. Her father used to have weird dreams too… it must not be so weird then. Yes, that must be it! It's just normal. Heatherpaw's father might have not known it, but he had just lifted an entire rock off his daughter's back. "Thank you Hawkstar!"

The leader nodded. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you two. No excuses! Got that?"

Hollypaw and Heatherpaw both nodded as their father returned to his previous location next to a few warriors just beside his den.

_Talk to Mistyfern, huh? I don't know her that well, but there's always a time to start._

Heatherpaw saw Hollypaw shake her head. "Sorry, Heatherpaw, I thought you were going to get in trouble."

Heatherpaw sighed, "It's okay," her tail rested on her sister's back. "I love you, but please. Sometimes its alright for me to take the blame."

Hollypaw nodded. "I get it, sorry. I just don't want you to get in trouble for something stupid."

"I know." Heatherpaw said. "I don't want you to get in trouble either, though."

Hollypaw shook her head. "But, it's okay for me to get in trouble. You have so much more potential than me! You want to be a leader, right? So you need to be the best apprentice ever! I'm here to help with that."

Heatherpaw just couldn't believe this. Hollypaw was doing all this just to make sure her dream came true. It was amazing to have a sister like this. Heatherpaw licked her sister's cheek. "Thank you so much Hollypaw."

* * *

_It's today._

Most of the cats that usually were out on patrols and such were here in the heart of the camp along with Heatherpaw.

It was almost time to walk to the gathering with everyone. The moon was high in the sky, acting like a sun as it provided light for all the cats in the forest. At this point in time, the cats,were just waiting for Hawkstar to start the walk. Also by this time, it was clear that Oakfoot, the deputy, had gone missing. Gossip was already going around, saying there was no trace of him, he had died, he left the clans. Heatherpaw was hearing cats talk about it beside her now, actually.

They spoke of how they think Hawkstar might address Oakfoot's disappearance at the gathering.

There wasn't a bunch of things Heatherpaw knew about Oakfoot.

All she knew was that he seemed to be very young for a deputy.

Cats talked about it all the time, even now. Heatherpaw even heard how he never even had an apprentice before. Even so, he was StormClan's deputy.

Heatherpaw decided to stop listening to other cat's conversations. It was making her nervous about the gathering.

Looking around Heatherpaw spotted Hollypaw inside the apprentice den, looking at her with the biggest smile on her face.

Heatherpaw smiled back, then looked away. She didn't want Hollypaw to see how nervous she was.

"Alright, we're going to head out now, stay together!" Hawkstar called from the front.

The group of cats slowly started to move through the exit.

Just then, Flametooth, who was previously in the front, made his way beside Heatherpaw. "Sorry," he began, "I should be by you, at least for right now. I know how nervous you might be."

Heatherpaw blinked. "Thanks, Flametooth..."

The mentor nodded. "Just a heads up, Hawkstar will announce you, being a new apprentice and all."

Heatherpaw was seriously starting to regret going. _All the attention being on her?... Well… maybe… maybe that's not such a bad thing. Everyone will know I will be a soon to be warrior… that actually does sound pleasing. But infront of all those clan cats?..._ "Okay… uh, hey, Flametooth?"

The cats began to pass through StormClan territory.

"Yes, Heatherpaw?" The warrior answered.

"Where is the gathering? What does it look like?" Heatherpaw heard Flametooth laugh, which made her face warm. Was that a stupid thing to ask?

"We're on our way there now and you ask that?" He continued to laugh. Despite his comment, he gave an answer. "Well, the area we're going to is an open area with not many trees around, its not on any clan's territory."

"Okay." Heatherpaw sighed.

"You'll be fine. Just remember what I said, okay?"

Heatherpaw nodded, and smiled.

Flametooth began to speed up. "Sorry about this, but I need to be by Hawkstar now." He vanished into the crowed of cats in front of Heatherpaw.

Alone again.

Deeply wishing Hollypaw was here, the apprentice walked with her head down. Being the only apprentice in a gathering stinks.

Eventually, the clan began to walk through territory that she hadn't seen before, and soon it seems they were at the entrance of the gathering area, yet still not in. "Alright guys, try not to start any trouble." Hawkstar called.

The clan agreed with some meows, then walked through the bushes.

The area Heatherpaw saw was a wide land of dirt, fallen trees and branches. Trees lined the area with perfection.  
_Why does it seem… like I've seen this before?_

Perhaps Heatherpaw had saw this place in a dream before? Yeah, that must be it. Dreams can be pretty crazy sometimes. Heatherpaw would know.

The rest of the clans already seemed to be there, and Heatherpaw could see they looked so different then the cats she saw daily.

RainClan, Heatherpaw assumed, was a more range of brighter colors, with the bodies almost like fish, which she's only seen once while passing a small pond in StormClan's territory. They even smelled like water...

For sure Heatherpaw knew SunClan scent, it stinks like skunk! They seemed bigger and seemed to glare at everyone. What's their problem?

_Wait, where was WindClan?_ Heatherpaw didn't smell any other scent but her own clan's.

Just then, Heatherpaw noticed every cat going to sit with the others, almost leaving her alone just standing at the entrance.

In a flash the apprentice rushed to the middle of the clearing and sat.

No cat was sitting beside her, but there was a few StormClan cats near her.

That would have to do for now.

Heatherpaw just sat there, beginning to think to herself. There wasn't much else to do, anyways.

_This… should be exciting. A new experience, at least I should feel refreshed in seeing this new area… Why… _  
Heatherpaw looked around.  
_Why does it feel like this is old news?_  
This feeling is less than exciting, and feels more like boredom. The only other emotion Heatherpaw was feeling was nervousness from being surrounded by all these other clan cats, she shifted around barely managing to sit still. She didn't know any cat here besides her mentor and her father, which were both busy with other cats.  
_Oh, why couldn't Hollypaw be here?! _  
More than anything she wanted her sister to share this experience with her, to keep her company.

Heatherpaw breathed in. As long as she sat still, away from any other clan cat, she,was okay. Just sit here, and do nothing.

"Hey there."

Fox dung! SunClan scent! Who would be trying to talk to her, and why?!  
_Be calm Heatherpaw, just turn around and...and ask to left alone. Yea, that._

Heatherpaw turned to shoo her visitor away, only to freeze in her movements.

In front of her eyes was a tall, thin, well-groomed and handsome looking cat. His eyes were deep blue and his fur was grey, with various darker patterns, looking a little older than Heatherpaw, but still young.

Heatherpaw's mind went blank in utter surprise at this cat talking to her.

The cat smirked. "Hey, so let me just cut to the chase. I came over here to get the dirt on StormClan, so... any juicy info?"

Without thinking clearly, Heatherpaw actually answered as if she was talking to an old friend. "Juicy info?...well there,was a fight in the dirt place den not too long ago… you could imagine how filthy that fight must of been!"

_Hold on, what was I saying?! I shouldn't be talking to any other clan cat right now! Especially SunClan!_" !H-Hey! I'm not going to waste my time talking to some SunClan cat! If you want info, go find it from some other cat." She paused, realizing her mistake. "Wait, no! Don't do that!"

The cat chuckled, cocking his head to the side. "You're a cute thing, you know that?"

_W-what?... Was… was this cat trying to flirt with her? _  
Heatherpaw's ears and face grew hot, and her fur bristled. "Listen, I don't want any trouble, so just go away to your own clan."

The cat surprisingly nodded calmly, turning around with a smug look on his face as if he accomplished something.

It really bothered Heatherpaw.

"Alright, if you really don't want me here, see ya later cutie!"

Heatherpaw waited until the cat was out of view to safely turn back around.  
_What the heck was that?! What was that SunClan cat trying to do? 'see you later?' As if! I hope I never see him again!_

Heatherpaw pouted, she was now just irritated more than anything. This gathering was turning out to be a big mistake!

_I can feel eyes staring at me… it better not be that stupid SunClan cat. _Heatherpaw wasn't going to turn around, no way. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"Quiet down! The gathering is going to begin!"

Heatherpaw blinked, somewhere in that conversation with that SunClan cat, Windclan had shown up.

They smelled mostly of mud and leaves. A smell Heatherpaw can tolerate! There seemed to be a wide variety of cats, small and big, short and tall.

The area began to quiet down now until it became complete silence.

"Hello, everyone!" A cat spoke that Heatherpaw hadn't seen before. The cat was standing on a tree branch that belonged to a single tree inside of the clearing. It was the only tree that managed to stay up, while the trees around it seemed to be fallen, burned or dead.

The cat was a bit muscular, his fur was white with a few grey markings on his tail and ears. His voice sounded kind and smooth.

"I am Larkstar, leader of WindClan." Larkstar leaned back letting his deputy, who seemed to be an all black tom, sit on the branch below him without his tail hovering over him.

Then, a cat that was a branch higher stood up. The tom seemed to be light brown with a dark tint to his fur. "I am Duskstar of SunClan." Duskstar could almost beat Heatherpaw's father in his muscular look, but Hawkstar, who actually stepped up next, was notably bigger.

"Hawkstar, of StormClan." Something seemed off about her father and Heatherpaw wanted to know why. The leader seemed to be fidgeting around, which was very unusual for a leader-like him. He never acted… scared?

"I am Lilystar, from RainClan. Pleasure to see you all here today." The RainClan leader was a strong looking she-cat, a tan color with dark brown spots,around her face.

All the leaders and deputies were present, except StormClan's deputy position was empty.

Duskstar stepped up again. "SunClan is hunting well, and even welcomed a new warrior, Dappletail."

Heatherpaw heard the shuffle of cats moving.

Did she really dare to look behind her?

Well, she did.

With a quick turn she saw that odd cat from earlier, the one who was trying to talk to her. Dappletail...

She stared at him until he caught her gaze, and winked.

Heatherpaw quickly turned back and huffed. _What a stupid name!_

"That is all we wish to share." Duskstar stepped back.

Next up was RainClan.

"We actually have an issue we would like to bring up." Lilystar announced.

Cats from all sides started to chatter and gossip right then and there! Just the slightest thing and all the clans would start talking!

"Shut it!" Lilystar glared, then looked around to the other clan leaders. "The waters are rising..."

Dead silence.

"Is she serious?"

Heatherpaw heard from behind her a low meow, saying "What a stupid thing to say!"

_A flooding river? That seemes like a serious thing that could happen...why is everyone brushing it off?  
_Heatherpaw was actually beginning to feel worried.

Lilystar became aware of the cats doubts as the three leaders cocked their heads at her. She coughed and spoke up again. "Listen, the waters never got this high before. If the rivers around our territory fills anymore, it'll flood over the land! We don't know why its happening, but it needs to stop!"

Larkstar coughed. "You're most likely just seeing things."

"Besides, if the water rises, whats it gunna do? Get your paws wet? You cats already swim like otters! " Duskstar glared, getting Lilystar to show her fangs at him.

The clans started chattering all around Heatherpaw. _Is this what the clans at a gathering do? Gossip and bicker all the time?!  
This is a serious issue! What was everyone doing?_

"Enough!" Hawkstar had jumped higher onto the tree, which from the look of it seemed to upset Duskstar, who formed an offended look in Hawkstar's direction. "Quiet down everyone, the gathering is still taking place, let us speak."

As everyone got quiet, Hawkstar looked down to Lilystar. "I understand your concern, but the situation doesn't seem too drastic. Maybe if something does happen, you can bring it up again."

Heatherpaw blinked, lowering her gaze. Right, Hawkstar was probally right. He usually always is, theres nothing to worry about.

Lilystar stood quietly and turned her head from Duskstar.

There was a long moment of awkward silence until Hawkstar spoke up again. "Well, now that I have your attention," He breathed, "Our deputy, Oakfoot, has gone missing."

There was a gasp from the other clans, even Larkstar and Lilystar seemed surprised. Duskstar simply glared at Hawkstar.

"Please, if you see him or know where he is, come to me."

Larkstar was hesitant to speak up after all that had just happened, so it seemed he wanted to just get it over with.

"WindClan is doing well." That was it.

Heatherpaw couldn't help but to feel disappointed. She was not announced. Not like it would have matched up to everything that had just been said, but she still felt that she wanted to be known.

"Gathering is going to be ending sooner than usual," Lilystar had said after leaping from the branch to lead her warriors back to camp.

"Right." Duskstar grunted, following in Lilystar's steps.

Somehow, Heatherpaw felt that was not the way a gathering should have been. They seemed more hostile then usual, and distant.

"See ya, cutie." The familiar voice rang out to Heatherpaw, almost instantly irritating her. She didn't turn. That SunClan cat probably only wants a reaction out of her. The forest would most likely burn over before Heatherpaw would let that happen!

"Heatherpaw." Flametooth nodded his head as he approached her. "I'm sorry, I know you're probably disappointed." He frowned. "Things didn't seem to go as planned up there."

_Huh?...oh, my name...thats right._ Heatherpaws name wasn't called. Even though she didn't notice it then, now that she did know, it kind of bothered her. Though, her name wasn't as important as finding Oakfoot, so ofcourse it wasn't going to bother her too much!  
"Its okay. My name isn't that important to bring up, especially after what just happened...does that happen all the time?"

Flametooth smiled. "Your name is important. Don't forget that. Also, yes, infact. Its been this tense for a while now."  
Heatherpaw's mentor looked down. "Though the flooding waters was a new one.." He coughed. "Well anyways, I'll make it up to you. How would you like to a hunting patrol with me tomorrow?"

"Ah! Really?!" Heatherpaw got up. A patrol was much better than just having all the clan cats know her silly name!

"Yes, this is your chance to feed your clan! Excited?"

"Yes!" Heatherpaw beamed. "Thank you Flametooth!"

Flametooth chuckled and began to walk to the exit of the area. "Come on then, you need your sleep."  
Heatherpaw skipped along, following the clan to the exit of the clearing.  
Flametooth stood back for a short time.  
"What do you think we should do?"  
Just then, Hawkstar walked up beside his Clanmate with eyes full of worry.  
"Should we hold off on calling another deputy?" Hawkstar slowly moved his head down in worry. This was a tough decision. the clan couldn't go on without a deputy, of course but...Oakfoot was still out there. Hawkstar was sure of it. Where though?  
"We'll see. Until then," Flametooth turned to Hawstar with a smile.  
"I'll be here. We can figure this out together."


End file.
